Cat and Dog Care
As your loved dog ages, the medical and nutritional needs change. It is also important to keep in mind that larger dogs tend to age more quickly than smaller dogs. Therefore, many giant-breed dogs may show signs of entering their golden years by age five or six, while smaller dogs may not show signs of aging until they are nine or even older.
Dog Age Calculator
Not sure of your pet’s age in human years, then try this dog age calculator:
www.pedigree.com/all-things-dog/dog-age-calculator
By maintaining good dog health practices and veterinary check-ups you can help to ensure that your dog lives as long a healthy and happy life as possible.
A Dog-Friendly Visit
Relaxed Consultations
The consultation rooms are designed to catch good natural light and we sit down together for as much of the consultation as possible. We prefer to examine your dog on the exam table, but if it is more convenient or more comfortable for your dog we will perform the examination on the floor.
Flexible Appointments
We offer flexibility with appointments to make it easy for you to bring your dog in if they are hard to pre-plan a visit for.
Overnight Stays
For overnight guests our Ellerslie Vet Clinic has spacious condos in their own private dog-only room. Your dog will relax and enjoy our hospitality while you are away.
Cat Friendly Clinic
At Ellerslie Vet Clinic we understand how you feel if your loved one shows anxiety when visiting their doctor and we will lead the way to your cat’s wellness with gentle care. At Ellerslie Vets we have created a cat-friendly environment, by welcoming our patients into their own waiting room and their own cat-only exam room to prevent encounters with dogs and unfamiliar smells. Our quiet cat consultation room has special kitty treats and a soothing pheromone that helps your cat feel more relaxed during their vet visit.
Regular Check-Ups Matter
Visiting the veterinarian might not be the first thing on your kitty’s social calendar. However, regular preventative care visits are important.
Cats are real masters of disguise and they often don’t tell you when they are sick, as they are genetically programmed to hide signs of illness and injury.
While a visible limp, frequent vomiting or finding a lump are physical signs that prompt owners to contact their veterinarian, more subtle findings like changes in grooming, avoidance, sleeping more or personality changes are not as likely to result in a call to the veterinary practice.
Many cats suffer from treatable health problems because their families don’t know to bring them to the doctor. To help to prevent this, we believe in yearly Wellness examinations and more frequent exams when their health requires this.
Making Visits Easier
Flexible Appointments
We offer flexibility with appointments to make it easy for you to bring your cat in if they are hard to plan a visit for.
Tips for Anxious Cats
For anxious cats we recommend you weigh the empty carrier cage at home and tell us the weight of the cage on arrival. We then can weigh your cat in his/her cage without taking your kitty out for the weighing process.
Ellerslie Vet Clinic is awarded internationally-recognized Cat Friendly Clinic status
Ellerslie Vet Clinic has achieved gold accreditation as a Cat Friendly Clinic (CFC). The CFC Programme has been developed by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), the veterinary division of the leading feline charity International Cat Care, and accreditation has been made available in partnership with Royal Canin and Ceva.
It aims to promote well-being and high standards of care for all cats visiting or being hospitalised in a vet clinic.
What Accreditation Means
Under the Programme, a vet clinic has to prove rigorous adherence to a set of criteria which includes the provision of facilities and demonstration of staff activities and attitudes aimed at reducing stress in cats, both as in-patients and out-patients.
The criteria includes having separate dog and cat waiting areas, feline-friendly hospitalization cages, and veterinary equipment specifically for treating cats. Most importantly, the staff are trained in approaching and handling cats sensitively and respectfully, and in maintaining high standards of veterinary care, including continuing to update their knowledge of feline medicine as new treatments and information become available.
By undertaking Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation, we’ve committed to delivering high standards of cat care, with compassion and expertise.
The International Society of Feline Medicine launched the Cat Friendly Clinic initiative to encourage vet practices & vets everywhere to make best efforts to improve the welfare of cats in their care.
The Programme advises vet practices on how to make their environment as welcoming to cats as possible, as well as providing support in staff training, handling techniques and cat-specific client care.
